Seventeen licenses have been issued to sea cucumbers operators to fish, process and export dried beche-de-mers from Tonga for the 2009 season, which runs from April 1 until the end of September.

The Head of the Fisheries Department, Dr Sione Vailala Matoto, confirmed on June 9, that 17 licenses half been issued to operators.

He said 13 licenses were issued to four operators each in Tongatapu, Vava'u, Ha'apai and one for Niua. An additional four licenses were issued separately to other operators to fish for the first time at the special jurisdiction 'Tele ki Tonga' and 'Tele ki Tokelau' at Minerva Reef.

Only one of the four operators has got a license to also fish for sea cucumbers in Tongatapu, he said.

Vailala also clarified that the four operators for Minerva were granted licenses because they had the appropriate equipment for this particular sea area and they are all Tongatapu based companies.

Quota

It is understood there is no quota set for operators fishing at Minerva because no survey had been conducted at the area to determine the amount of the resources.

This is different to the licenses awarded to the 13 operators of Tongatapu, Vava'u, Ha'apai and Niua who must follow a set quota for its exports so as to ensure the sustainability of the resources for the next season.

In May this year, a quota of 200 tonnes was confirmed for dried processed beche-de-mers for exportation. Which meant in Tongatapu the four operators are issued a quota of 25 tonnes each, then it varies for the operators from the outer islands.

Surveys are regularly conducted in these island groups to determine the amount of the sea cucumber resources and its sustainability, which in return determines the quota for the season.

Exports

Tonga earned around $2 million pa'anga in foreign revenue last year from the exportation of 15 tonnes of processed dried bech-de-mers mainly to China, Hong Kong and Singapore.

The fishing season for the sea cucumbers ends at the end of September and the exports on October 31.

This compares to last year's season recorded 10 operators, three each in Tongatapu, Vava'u, Ha'apai and Niuatoputapu.